


Don't Think Too Far Ahead

by yoshizora



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Genre: Gen, Torna: The Golden Country DLC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 12:09:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16017629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoshizora/pseuds/yoshizora
Summary: Milton and Mikhail plan for the future.





	Don't Think Too Far Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> no explicit spoilers for torna (what even counts as spoilers when we all know everyone dies???) but i'd still recommend clearing the story anyway 
> 
> this isn't intended to be fluff.

“Hey! Mikhail! Mik, Mik!” 

All those fish in the moat bubble at the surface to catch the bits of flakes that Mikhail drops in. They move this way and that in quicksilver flashes, sunlight striking off their scales. 

“What.” 

“I’ve been thinking—“ Milton clambers up onto the short fence to sit beside Mikhail, swinging his legs. “About what’s gonna happen, when all the fighting is done and over with.” 

Mikhail drops another fistful of crumbled flakes for the fish. “Mmh.” 

“This is going to go down in history, don’t you realize?” His eyes are shining almost as brightly as the gleams of silver in the water. “I bet they’ll be speaking of Master Addam and Lora and Emperor Hugo for _centuries_ to come. We’ve got our chance to make our mark, too! C’mon, Mik! Think about it!” 

He does. For three seconds. Then he turns his attention back to the fish crowding together, opening and closing their dumb mouths for more flakes. Mikhail obligingly sprinkles more down upon them. 

“I don’t really care.”

“Aww, you’re always like this. A complete buzzkill.” 

“Am not…” 

Milton only laughs and swings his legs harder, folding his hands behind his head. The skies are clear today. It’s hard to believe that at this very moment, Addam and the Aegis and everyone else are on their way to fight Malos and put an end to this war once and for all. Everyone in town is carrying on like everything is normal. They’d done a good job of that— instilling that atmosphere of reassurance, that there’s no need to fear nor worry. 

Mikhail’s knuckles turn white as he grabs another fistful of flakes from the bag. 

“After Malos is dead and the Tornan Titan is sealed up again, I’m gonna join Master Addam’s militia at Aletta,” Milton says. “Mythra was right, you know. I wouldn’t have been any help at all… I haven’t been any help at all, really.”

“Yeah, you’re a real hindrance.”

“Gee, thanks for that vote of confidence.” He scoffs. “Hugo told me about how he started learning how to fight when he was around our age. So that’s what I’ve decided on!” 

“Okay.”

“I’m gonna learn how to fight. I’ll be a real warrior like Master Addam, a hero who inspires people.” It might be Mikhail imagining things, but he swears he can hear the lump in Milton’s throat. “Someday I could even resonate with my own Blade, too. And my Blade will be strong and loyal, like Jin and Brighid and Aegaeon.” 

Those are some really lofty dreams, Mikhail thinks to himself, but he bites the words back. What would he know about dreams? He never put much thought into his own future, only living the days by each day. Yesterday is gone, today is here, and tomorrow is something to worry about later. 

“Let’s stick together, Mikhail,” Milton says, pulling his feet up to precariously balance himself in a crosslegged position. “I’m sure Master Addam will let you stay with us at his estate.” 

“Nah.”

“—What d’you mean by _that?!_ ” 

“I want to go to Mor Ardain,” Mikhail says without really thinking, only drawing upon random thoughts that had lingered from those yesterdays long past. “They have cool battleships.” 

“You’re kidding me.”

“I’ll learn how to build ships like the one we took to Gormott.” 

“Seriously…?” 

Mikhail nods. He lets flakes crumble between his loosened fingers. The fish are either starving, or they’re too stupid to realize when they’d eaten their fill. The bag of fish flakes he had purchased is already half empty. 

“Man, sometimes I forget how much of a weirdo you are,” Milton says, grinning. “You’d better not go running off to another country without me.” 

“Whatever…” 

“Torna has cool battleships too! Why can’t you learn all that engineering stuff here?” 

Mikhail considers this for a second, then shrugs. “Sure. I could do that, too.” 

“Then, it’s settled!” He throws his fists up to the air in declaration, beaming up at the sun. “I’ll become a Tornan Driver in service of Master Addam, and you’ll become the capital’s finest shipwright! How does that sound, Mik?” 

He, too, looks up to the sky, and catches a glimpse of Torna’s tail swinging high. Addam… promised to everyone, that the nightmares would come to an end. It could be mere hours before their battle with Malos. Mikhail wonders if they’d be able to see it from here.

Generations would speak of this war to come, of the terrifying might of the Aegises and the heroes who fought so valiantly. Perhaps they’d speak of the wards who accompanied them on their journey as well, of the two boys who had been saved from nothingness and given a chance to become a part of history. Mikhail closes up the bag of fish flakes. 

Milton doesn’t actually care about the glory, he knows. Neither does Mikhail. True heroes wouldn’t do what they do for their place in the textbooks. 

“I guess that’s alright.”

He smiles for the first time in days, and Milton looks so happy that Mikhail is worried he might knock both of them into the water.

Someday, they’ll be big and strong just like the adults. He contemplates how they’ll look back upon this day, when they sat beside the moat as children and spoke of their hopeful future together.


End file.
